A Dictionary of Dutchness

Raad van State

The Raad van State (council of state) has two main roles: it advises the Dutch government and parliament on legislation and governance and is also the country’s highest administrative court. It has a workforce of some 600, of whom 300 are lawyers. Every year, the Raad van State produces around 650 advisory opinions on legislation and hears thousands of legal appeals. Queen Beatrix is the council’s president.